Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selfoss and in Buenos Aires

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Selfoss and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,460 in Selfoss versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Selfoss $3,460
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,461 in Selfoss versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Selfoss $2,461
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,462 in Selfoss versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Selfoss $1,462
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Selfoss is roughly 105% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Selfoss 158% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.81 ISK 2,538

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

61.57%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ARS 3,103

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.20 ISK 1,488

$3.84 ARS 5,830

217.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ISK 219

$1.44 ARS 2,181

24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$7.61 ISK 928

$2.46 ARS 3,738

209.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 ISK 544

$1.63 ARS 2,467

173.62%

Eggs

$6.56 ISK 800

$2.89 ARS 4,385

126.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.24 ISK 2,103

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.77 ISK 2,655

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

117.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.50 ISK 4,085

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

143.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ISK 332

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-1.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ISK 335

$2.18 ARS 3,300

26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ISK 324

$1.45 ARS 2,205

82.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.51 ISK 916

$1.99 ARS 3,013

277.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ISK 391

$1.24 ARS 1,885

158.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ISK 266

$1.27 ARS 1,921

71.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 ISK 439

$1.70 ARS 2,575

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ISK 175

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-16.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.97 ISK 1,947

$4.18 ARS 6,337

282.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ISK 143

$2.77 ARS 4,198

-57.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$216 ARS 326.9K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 ISK 343.9K

$505 ARS 766.1K

458.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

3 h behind Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Selfoss Buenos Aires 11,440 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
Buenos Aires

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Selfoss vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selfoss and Buenos Aires differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($3,460 vs $1,685 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,190 in Selfoss and $2,528 in Buenos Aires to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,460 per month in Selfoss versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,460 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Selfoss and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.